Catch



B. C. ROEHRL July 5, 1949.

CATCH Filed April 1, 1947 3nnentor Patenteol July 5, 1949 lTED STAB.

ZA'ZSJBi i' ATENT OFFICE CATCH tion of Pennsylvania Application April 1, 1947, Serial No. 738,539

Claims. i

This invention is a spring catch. One advantage is the possibility of recessing the catch into an edge of a case. Other objects advantages appear in the specification and claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a section through the catch applied to a case, Fig. 2 is a perspective of the case partly in section, Fig. 3 is a perspective of the catch, and Fig. 4 is a top edge view.

I and 2 indicate mating parts of a case hinged at one end (not shown) and held closed by a catch 3 having its outer surface conforming with and constituting a smooth continuation of the edge contour of the case. fhe catch is holiow having end walls t received in a notch 5 in the casing part 2 and having outwardly flaring end walls 6 received in a notch l in the casing part i. Projecting from the walls 6 are flanges t loosely received in slots 9. A retaining lip if; at the front of the catch is held against shoulder H in the casing part 2 by a Wire spring l2 having its center received in a hook is on the casing part I and its ends received in holes i i in the end walls 6. The length of the spring is substantially equal to the width of the catch at the holes M. After the catch is slid into place from the outside of the casing part i, the center of the spring is pulled forward and downward into engagement with the hook 53. This bows the spring placing it under the desired tension. The

thickness of the walls 5 is such that the ends of the spring remain in the holes I l. The force exerted by the spring urges the catch forward against ribs G5 which provide stops. The direction of the spring force is partly downward and partly forward, the greater force being forward.

As the case is closed, the upper edge of the part 2 engages a cam surface it on the lip l0 lifting the front edge of the catch until the lip Hi snaps down onto the shoulder H. The force exerted on the cam surface i6 is partly upward and partly rearward. Because the rearward force exerted on the cam surface is less than the forward force exerted by the spring, the catch pivots about the edge ll, the necessary limited pivotal movement being permitted by the clearance between the flanges 8 and the slots. Limiting the pivotal movement of the catch prevents overstressing of the spring. The necessary upward force to release the catch ma be applied to a rib 8 at the front end of the cam surface it. This makes only a slight variation in the contour of the case-just enough to provide a gripping surface.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a case having separable parts with mating edges, aligned notches transverse to the edges,

a latch member received in the notches, guides mounting the latch member on one of the parts for sliding movement toward the other part, said guides having lost motion permitting limited pivotal movement of the latch, spring means urging the latch member downward and forward toward the other part, a stop limiting the forward movement of the latch, and cam surfaces on the latch and the other part exerting opposing forces on the latch as the case is closed less than the forward and greater than the downward force of the spring means.

2. In a case having separable parts with mating edges, aligned notches transverse to the edges, a hollow latch member received in the notches, guides mounting the latch member on one of the parts for sliding movement toward the other part, said guides having lost motion permitting limited pivotal movement of the latch, a spring within and extending across and having its ends anchored in the latch member, and an abutment in said one part downward and forward of the ends of the spring engaging the center of the spring, said abutment being positioned so the spring exerts a greater force urging the latch member forward and a lesser force urging the latch member downward toward the other casing part.

3. In a case having separable parts with mating edges, aligned notches transverse to the edges, a latch member received in the notches, slots in the ends of the notch in one of the parts, projections on the latch member loosely received in the slots permitting sliding and pivotal movement of the latch in the slots, and spring means exerting a greater force urging the latch member forward and a lesser force urging the latch member downward toward the other part.

4. In a case having separable parts with mating edges, a notch in one of the parts transverse to its edge, a latch member received in the notch and cooperating with the other part to hold the edges together, guides mounting the latch member on said one part for sliding movement toward the other part, said guides having lost motion permitting limited pivotal movement of the latch, spring means urging the latch member downward and forward toward the other part, a stop limiting the forward movement of the latch, and cam surfaces on the latch and the other part exerting opposing forces on the latch as the case is closed less than the forward and greater than the downward force of the spring means.

5. In a case having separable parts with mather, and an abutment in said one part downward 10 and forward of the ends of the spring engaging the center of the spring, said abutment being positioned so the spring exerts a greater force urging the latch member forward and a lesser force urging the latch member downward toward the other casing part.

BRUNO C. ROEHRL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,682 Hood Mar. 9, 1886 339,577 Prahar a Apr. 6, 1886 

